SINCE the dawn of the December revolution which ended three decades of Islamic dictatorship in Sudan, the forces that lost power have fiercely resisted change.
 
This culminated in the October 25 2021 coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), backed by Islamist factions and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). The coup halted Sudan’s democratic transition and led to mass arrests and torture of pro-democracy activists.
 
Power struggles between the two generals escalated into armed conflict on April 15 2023, fuelled by regional and international interests seeking to exploit Sudan’s vast resources.
 
Humanitarian crisis and human rights violations
 
Both the SAF and RSF, alongside Islamist militias, have committed severe human rights violations, including air raids, arson, looting, extrajudicial killings and genocide. The war has resulted in mass displacement, with millions forced to flee their homes.

Reports indicate over 52 detention centres in Khartoum alone, where civilians face arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances; various forms of torture, including starvation, hanging by the feet, and electric shocks; inhumane detention conditions leading to deaths in custody; and widespread sexual violence.
 
Both SAF and RSF have been responsible for the horrific executions that have taken place in conflict zones, where detainees are tortured to death, and bodies are mutilated.
 
Violence against women and sexual assault
 
Sexual violence has become a defining feature of the war, with reports estimating over 10,000 cases of rape — though the actual number is likely much higher due to fear of stigma. Rape has been used as a weapon of war to terrorise communities, leaving survivors with severe psychological and social consequences.
 
The RSF has been widely reported as a primary perpetrator of systematic sexual violence, including gang rape and sexual enslavement, particularly in areas under its control. However, the Sudanese army and allied militias have also been implicated.
 
In some cases, mothers have been forced to marry off their underage daughters to armed men to protect them from sexual violence. In Sudan’s conservative society, rape survivors face social exclusion, difficulty in marriage, and long-term trauma, with some resorting to suicide.
 
Famine and disease outbreaks
 
The war has led to severe food insecurity, with famine spreading across multiple regions. The UN warns that 25.6 million people face high levels of food insecurity, while the World Food Programme reports that over 10 million people urgently need food assistance.
 
Children have been particularly affected, with Unicef estimating over 3 million children under five suffering from acute malnutrition, 700,000 of whom are at risk of death without immediate treatment.
 
The lack of clean water has led to disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, dengue fever, and measles. Sudan has recorded over 6,600 cholera cases and 235 deaths, with the collapsing healthcare system further worsening conditions. Medical supplies are scarce, hospitals are destroyed, and doctors are displaced.
 
Mass displacement and child abuse
 
By the end of 2023, the war had displaced more than 5.5 million people, with 75 per cent fleeing Khartoum. Over 1.5 million have become refugees in neighbouring countries, where they continue to live in dire conditions. Sudan’s infrastructure has been devastated, further worsening civilian suffering.
 
Both the SAF and RSF have forcibly recruited child soldiers, violating international law and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
 
Unicef has reported 221 cases of child rape since the beginning of 2024, including 16 cases involving children under the age of five and four cases involving infants still nursing.
 
Fears of Sudan’s disintegration
 
Meetings in Nairobi and the formation of rival governments — one led by the SAF and the other by the RSF — have raised fears of Sudan’s fragmentation. Ethnic and regional divisions have deepened, with some armed groups and local leaders calling for self-rule or secession. Darfur remains a hotspot for ethnic violence, while regions like Blue Nile and South Kordofan face rising tensions.
 
The urgent need for international intervention
 
As atrocities continue, urgent international intervention is necessary. The UN, African Union, and global stakeholders must pressure foreign actors fuelling the conflict to withdraw their involvement, push for a ceasefire, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
 
Additionally, accountability mechanisms must be strengthened to prosecute war criminals and human rights violators. The international community must act now.

Dr Iman Hamad is an associate professor at the University of Bahri and played a key role in the December 2019 revolution. Following the 2021 military takeover she and her family fled to Britain.